TAIPEI, February 20, 2026 — Explosive demand for AI training and inference has caused severe shortages of conventional DRAM and NAND flash memory, driving up prices and forcing delays in consumer electronics, PCs, smartphones, and enterprise servers, according to a new analysis by TrendForce.
The research firm reports that memory manufacturers—including Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron—are reallocating production capacity toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and other AI-optimized products, which offer significantly higher margins.
HBM demand is projected to grow 150% in 2026, while conventional DRAM supply increases only 16% and NAND 17% year-over-year—far below the pace needed to meet overall market growth.
As a result, TrendForce forecasts double-digit quarterly price increases for mainstream DRAM and NAND through at least mid-2026. Average selling prices for DDR5 modules have already risen 40–60% since late 2025, with similar trends affecting NAND SSDs and eMMC/UFS storage used in mobile devices.
The ripple effects are visible across hardware categories:
- PCs and laptops — Vendors including Lenovo, Dell, HP, Acer, and Asus have warned of 15–20% price increases starting mid-2026. Some pre-built systems are now sold without RAM to control costs.
- Smartphones — Low-margin Android OEMs face the steepest pressure, with potential downgrades to 8GB RAM baselines in entry-level models.
- Servers and data centers — Enterprise buyers report lead times stretching to six months for DDR5 modules, delaying AI server deployments.
- Consumer SSDs — Retail prices for high-capacity drives have climbed 30–50%, prompting some users to postpone upgrades.
TrendForce warns that the imbalance could persist into 2027 unless new fab capacity ramps quickly or AI demand moderates. The firm also highlights secondary effects, such as component shortages delaying product launches and forcing specification reductions.
While memory suppliers are enjoying record profitability—Micron reported gross margins above 40% in recent quarters—downstream manufacturers and end consumers bear the brunt of the supply squeeze.
The analysis underscores how AI infrastructure spending is reshaping consumer hardware markets, with no immediate relief in sight.
